Chelseas draw at Liverpool proof that Mourinhos title plans are on track Jose Mourinhos post-match demeanour said it all. The sometimes irascible, often provocative, always engaging Chelsea manager was a picture of control in the aftermath of his teams 1-1 draw at Liverpool. Diplomatic, charming and gracious -- perhaps too gracious given the mutual antipathy between the two clubs supporters -- in the television interviews, Mourinho was happy to talk and give credit where it was due, which in turn belied his own take on events. Essentially, the match had gone according to plan. With Liverpool very much in the ascendency, especially during the second half, it might seem strange that he took so much pleasure from a rearguard display that was far removed from last Saturdays 5-0 evisceration of Swansea City. Although the approach and overall performance at Anfield was markedly different from the total dominance exhibited at the Liberty Stadium, it can be entirely explained by the differing immediate objectives. Against Swansea, the game was all about the three points and getting back to the fluidity of play that propelled the Blues to the top of the Premier League in the opening weeks and months of the campaign. They succeeded spectacularly. On Merseyside, the plan from the first minute was to sit off Liverpool and soak up the pressure that would inevitably come their way due to the home side needing to establish a lead to take into the second leg. With Chelsea possessing so many players with pace, vision and skill in attacking areas, there was always the possibility of punishing their hosts on the break. Had they reproduced the precision from the weekend on Tuesday night, then they might well have celebrated victory on Merseyside. As it was, the 1-1 draw was a perfectly respectable result, the tie kept well within reach and even an advantage attained with the return match taking place at Stamford Bridge. The decision not to chase the game will have been reached also partly as a consequence of Chelseas sudden flurry of games. In the space of a fortnight the Blues will have played matches across three separate competitions culminating in the home league fixture with Manchester City that could have huge implications for the title race. Although Saturdays FA Cup tie with Bradford City is likely to see a much-changed line-up, Mourinhos preference for stability and familiarity in the starting eleven requires astute game management from the coaching staff and the players alike. Conservation of energy has to be balanced against the preservation of their status in the various competitions with Chelsea aiming to peak during this mini-spell in the titanic clash with City. In that context, the apparent lack of adventure at Anfield can be easily understood. Even though Liverpool looked like the likeliest winners as the game entered its latter stages, there are still plenty of positives to extract from the contest from a Chelsea perspective. Brendan Rodgers team has received universal plaudits for their display and rightfully so when contrasted with how meek they were in the league fixture at the same ground in November. They have certainly experienced an upturn in their fortunes. But even so, there is no getting away from the fact that the match ended as a draw, so for them to be feted in such a way and by so many shows just how highly this Chelsea team is regarded. Feared, even. There were also some rather more tangible aspects from the game to be pleased about, such as certain individual performances. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois showed no negative reaction to the finger injury that has seen him sit out recent matches, with his command of the area and athletic shot-topping being as sensational as ever. In front of him, Gary Cahill has received some unfair criticism for his inability to thwart Raheem Sterlings equaliser, though given the exceptional quality of Sterlings goal, it seems churlish to blame the centre back. More pertinently, Cahill had made a series of crucial interventions in the first half that had ensured that the Chelsea goal was not breached and it looked like it might lay the foundations for a valuable away win when Eden Hazard scored from the penalty spot. It was also encouraging to see the more attack-minded Filipe Luis put in a good display in what was an overwhelmingly defensive remit. Ultimately though, what was so encouraging about this below-par performance was the confirmation that Mourinhos Chelsea are not wedded to one brand of football in order to attain results. They can put in a scintillating exhibition of fluid attacking football based on ball retention one day, with the same players then equally happy to adapt to a compact, neutralising system punctuated by sharp counter-attacks in their next outing. They can dance and they can fight and it is this ability to shape-shift that is powering their quest for silverware. At the moment, it is all going to plan. #PL
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 04:15:07 +0000
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